1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a work vehicle having a hydraulic apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to a hydraulic apparatus wherein two valves for two hydraulic units are operably coupled to a single operating lever, which lever is operable in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the valves are operated individually by operating the operating lever in the first and second directions, respectively.
2. Description of the Related Art
JP 2008-245609 A discloses a technique according to which a single lever is operated in two directions for individually operating two valves in the first direction and in the second direction, respectively. More particularly, according to the technique disclosed in this JP 2008-245609 A, a coupling mechanism provided between the two valves and the operating lever incorporates two valve operating links connected respectively to the valves. These two valve operating links are mounted to a frame plate having an angular hook-like cross sectional shape, with the operating links being mounted in opposition to each other along the front/back direction. The frame plate supports cantilever-wise two boss portions, one boss portion supporting a support shaft oriented along the right/left lateral direction for operating the operating lever in the front/back direction, the other boss portion slidably receiving therein a lock pin in the right/left lateral direction. In operation, when the operating lever is located at its neutral position, the lock pin will be operated to be inserted into the boss portion formed integrally with the operating lever, thereby locking this operating lever. With this, the two valves can be fixed at the neutral positions.
According to the above-described technique disclosed in JP 2008-245609A, with insertion of the single lock pin into the boss portion formed integrally with the operating lever, the operating lever is locked relative to the direction intersecting the lock pin and the inserting direction to the boss portion. Therefore, if there exist a large gap between the boss portion slidably supporting the lock pin and the lock pin and a large gap between the boss portion formed integrally with the operating lever and the lock pin, if this operating lever is operated inadvertently under the locked condition of the operating lever, the locking boss portion tends to slide in the axial direction of the lock pin, whereby the one valve operating link may be operated erroneously to move the valve.
The object of the present invention is to provide a work vehicle having a hydraulic apparatus which can reliably prevent such erroneous operation of the valve of the hydraulic apparatus even when the operating lever is moved inadvertently.